Unspoken Boundaries

Ava's  POV 

Dinner was a quiet affair.

True to her words, the head maid made Dravin come down for dinner. He looked sullen at the fact that he was forced downstairs and made a point to stare me down with as much disgust as he could possibly muster without words.

All of that was forgotten when I saw what we were having for dinner, though.

A full-course meal that had more meat than I'd seen my whole life.

Chicken, beef, turkey, pork, venison, just name it.

Of course, I knew nothing of the different types of meat except chicken and beef—I used to prepare them for Vera and Mother—it took the head maid presenting every dish verbally to identify them.

I didn't care about any of it.

All I saw was meat. A lot more than I've ever been allowed to taste. Even when I cooked for Mother and Vera, they almost never let me taste it. Fruits made up most of my diet.

I tore into the food with a vengeance. It tasted heavenly against my tongue. Every bit of it was more flavor than I've ever had, and I just couldn't have enough of it.

For the first time, I was thankful for Elora's body and appetite, or it was just my own appetite being manifested.

Whatever it was, it helped me eat a lot more than I considered possible.

I couldn't even blame Elora for becoming so fat anymore. If I always had access to food like this, then I would stuff my face every second of the day as long as I could get more.

I was almost moved to tears as I ate.

Surprisingly, Dravin said nothing while we ate.

I expected an insult all night, and he said nothing.

More accurately, he acted like I didn't exist.

Which is more than ideal for me.

***

It's been three days since my arrival in the Sulk Pack, and I've noticed a few things.

First of all, Dravin was more than just an Alpha to his people. He was a god.

People brought gifts to him regularly even though he turned every single one of them away. They didn't look like they were even trying to buy favors with him; they genuinely wanted to give something to him.

That both baffled and surprised me.

He was a demon. A villain. The embodiment of everything that is dark and evil, feared by the world.

A menace of a being.

But here, he was nothing more than a benevolent, strict ruler to his people.

Second, Dravin's presence in this house is almost negligible since he is rarely ever seen outside his office or training room. Most other times, he's not even home.

I know Alphas are busy individuals since they both represent the politics and military strength of the pack, but this is almost excessive.

I've only seen him in passing once. Like he is deliberately avoiding being around me.

Once again, I don't mind that, but I must admit that it's a bit disturbing.

"Luna, I have prepared your bath," Lyanna said, her petite figure covered in the regular maid uniform she always wore and her red hair tied in a tight bun.

I rolled my eyes at that.

"For the umpteenth time, Lyanna. It's Elora. I'm completely fine with Elora."

She once again gave me the blank stare that betrayed almost no emotion except a subtle confusion at my stupidity.

"You are the Luna, Luna," she said blankly.

"That is not my name."

"It is your title and now your identity, Luna," she argued.

We've had this argument more times in the last three days than I could count.

"I feel uncomfortable with always being called Luna," I sighed. "It's almost like I don't actually exist."

In a way, it was true.

I do not exist.

Elora also isn't my name, but I can't tell a single soul that secret. I would be giving Dravin all the reason he needs to send me out.

"You exist as the Luna," she said calmly.

I'm beginning to think the workers under Dravin have been somewhat hypnotized and brainwashed. Nothing I say makes her even consider it.

"Why do you insist?" I asked. "You can call me Luna in front of others and my name in private."

"Then what kind of Luna would you be?" she asked. This time, her voice was a little sharp. It had an edge to it. "Would every worker who got close to you be allowed to call you by your name? Would anyone who knew you before now be allowed to treat you like you aren't the Luna of possibly the most powerful pack in the region? Would the Demon Queen be reduced to a mere ordinary figure?"

"Um... no?"

"That's exactly what allowing me to call you your name would cause," she replied. "If I get used to it, it is bound to slip out around people. If people know you authorized me to do that, they would want to take advantage of it. They would want to take advantage of you because they see you as a pushover. You might have lived a sheltered life, but the world you live in now is one where everyone is trying to get an edge. Something as inconsequential as the way you're addressed could define the way people view you. Your parents shielded you from it; I would not help them do it any longer."

She stared at me for a little bit.

"Luna."

Those words had quite the punch to them for multiple reasons.

She thinks I'm the princess and I've lived a sheltered life, but she was actually wrong. My life was far from sheltered. It was the utmost definition of hell.

It was also, in a way, sheltered from the rest of reality.

I know everyone tries to take advantage of the other, but it never applied to me since no one tries—they just do. My mom, my sister, the mate, the members of the Blood Moon Pack. Everyone I ever knew until I became Elora took advantage of me one way or the other.

So now, I expect every other person to do the same.

Second, I was simply dumbfounded.

This was the first time someone—anyone—tried to do something for me. This was the first time anyone was looking out for me.

It was a warm and alien feeling.

"Your bath is ready, Luna," her voice was sweet and melodious, but now it sounded even better.

"Thank you, Lyanna," I smiled. My first genuine smile since I was dragged away by the Demon Alpha.

Her expression softened for a moment as she offered me a small smile.

"I have done nothing to be thankful for, Luna. Nothing at all."

I nodded and turned back to the window, which I stared out of, exposing me to the beautiful landscape of the horizon. Hills covered in lush green grass and a dense forest of tall, strong trees.

The sun setting above them cast everything in a brilliant golden hue as it slowly dipped behind the mountain.

It was beautiful.

Lyanna was beautiful.

My new life, though uncertain and a little worse, was a lot better than the life I lived before now.

"The Alpha planted those trees and created those hills," Lyanna smiled. "Or so they say."

"If he did, then those rumors about him being about 500 years old don't seem too far-fetched," I laughed.

"I personally don't think they are far-fetched," she shrugged. "The Alpha is a surreal being. One that defies all known logic about werewolves. At least, that's what I think."

I gave her an amused stare.

"That thought would be quite scary. He'd be 480 years older than me."

"What's scary about that, Luna?" Lyanna smiled. "He only looks thirty. Even younger on a good day."

She was right about that.

Dravin was absolutely majestic and looks not even a day older than thirty.

When I tried to picture his face, though, all I saw was the scowl. The disgust on his beautiful face, aimed at me.

My mood took a steep nosedive at that.

"Has the Alpha married any woman before me?"

"Multiple women, Luna," she replied promptly.

I nodded at that.

"Does he treat them like he treats me?"

"I wasn't around when he married those women, Luna," she replied. "But I was told that he did in the past, so I don't exactly know the details."

There was a few minutes of an awkward pause between us.

"What does it matter if he treated other women better than you, Luna?" she asked. "You are his wife now. His Luna. You need to start assuming the role of a Luna. In my opinion, if the Alpha's duties come before you, your duties should come first as well."

I stared at her for a few seconds or a few minutes, I'm not sure.

But I smiled in the end.

"Go prepare my bath, Lyanna. It would be cold by now."